Our week with the moonjellies!

[Heather W]

I just put up some notebooking pages here (http://blogshewrote.blogspot.com/). I mostly went with just Jane's lessons and had a great time with the language arts this time around. My dd even remembered her art lesson from two years ago reminding me of the warm palette the illustrator used to tell us that it was warm in the boat but not outside. So cool:cool: !

My dd, who is in second, had a choice of writing a paragraph in first person or writing it using contrast. She chose both...in her words, "I'll write a story about contrast in the first person." Well rock on then I said!

She was concerned that she didn't have enough to say and wouldn't fill a page, but we had the best time adding detail. I simply asked her questions about what she had written and it provided the motivation for her to embellish and to help the reader really understand what she was trying to convey. She contrasted the bright sunlight out on the waterfront with the dark restaurant we ate dinner in by the docks. She was so pleased with the finished product too. Ta-da! She's a writer!:) When you scroll through the pictures you can click on any of them to actually see what she wrote. (for those that are not blog savvy.

My son spent some time with pattern blocks and made a lobster today. Well I could prattle on, but visit the blog and you can get more detail.;)

By the way, this aspiring writer is the same dreamy girl I've asked for advice on in the family room!:lol:

[Paige P]

Thanks for sharing, Heather :thumb:

I love the notebooks -- they do a great job showing the kids' work :clap:
Sounds like ya'll had fun. By the way, I love to menu idea -- how cute!

[Heather W]

Thanks for sharing, Heather :thumb:

I love the notebooks -- they do a great job showing the kids' work :clap:
Sounds like ya'll had fun. By the way, I love to menu idea -- how cute!
Thank you Paige...that idea is straight from the manual. It's the LA lesson where you make a list and the suggestion is to see how many foods the kids can remember from the reading. My kids loved it.

Marcy- I switch around a lot, but decided to notebook rather than lapbook toward the end of last year. I got tired of placing everything just so or it wouldn't work. That's one reason I don't enjoy Hands of a Child or Live and Learn lapbook templates. Just too much going on and it is less enjoyable for my kids unless they have a larger space to work in and arrange things the way they want.

As it is the 10x10 is smaller than I like to work on so I usually give the kids a choice of what they can do with the stuff. Sometimes they work it out on their own like my dd with the vocabulary flaps. She decided to just fold the pictures to make the flaps.

I also like the pronged folder approach so we'll see what happens!

[amyIL]

Heather...can I ask how many pages in the 10x10 scrapbook you usually use for each story? We did Mike Mulligan for our first story last week and i was stressed out trying to fit all of their "stuff" onto a 2 page spread. It didn't occur to me to use more pages. Thanks for showing yours!! But I still wondered how many pages people tend to use? Thanks

[Heather W]

You know Amy I don't know for sure and it varies. I don't waste pages, but we don't make certain we only use a few. I have the kids notebook so they will have a portfolio of their work. So, it's more important to include a good sampling of skills and work than it is to conserve pages. Once this notebook is full, we'll get the next one. I have two more for each child that I bought when they were on sale. After that I'll evaluate how it's been working.

Does that help?

[amyIL]

Yes, thanks!! I just wanted someone to give me permission to use more pages if we needed too. This week we've been able to do the projects I wanted without me worrying how I would fit it onto 2 pages in their notebook. We will just fill up as many as it takes. Oh...the freedom of choices!! Thanks Heather.

[Shannon]

Heather,
You and your kids rock!:clap: Their notebook pages and stories are terrific. They've inspired me to try more narration/dictation with my 6 yos this year.
BTW, I've been thinking of ordering some pattern blocks. Where did you order from and what sorts of activities do your dc do with them? (Love the lobster!)
Thanks for taking the time to post on your blog the fun stuff y'all do. I go there so much for ideas!
ETA - Also meant to ask where you got the weather equipment. My kids would really get a kick out of doing that!

[Heather W]

Shannon- I bought the pattern blocks at RR (the 250 pack of wooden ones) with two books one for older and one for younger kids. I also added on some pattern cards that the kids really enjoy- especially my 5yo. So far I've just let them pull them out during free time and they play. The lobster was first made by my 5yo just playing with them during the week.

The weather station is from Usborne books. It's the weather kid kit they sell. It's pretty nice, but it is made to be stored inside and taken out to do readings. I'll have to upgrade when I can:) .

Thanks for the encouragement everyone...next up are the Gramma's Walk pages if we can stay focused and get them done before our next week away (which is Wed and we only got home today!).